Summary At 0828, 08 November 2003, the container vessel CielodelCanada, while outbound from Fraser Surrey Docks, under the conduct of a British Columbia coast pilot, ran aground between buoys S0and S2, on a falling tide, while still within the marked buoyed channel. The vessel was refloated on the rising tide with the assistance of tugs, and redocked at Fraser Surrey Docks. An underwater survey carried out while the vessel was alongside revealed no apparent damage to the vessel's bottom structure. Ce rapport est galement disponible en franais. Other Factual Information Particulars of the Vessel Description of the Vessel The 2470 TEU2 container vessel has five holds with the crew accommodation and engine-room space located aft of the Number5 hold. It has three cranes that are utilized primarily for cargo operations. The wheelhouse structure is offset to starboard from the centre line. This is to negate the blind sector effect caused by the cylindrical steel vertical pillars along the centre line that house the cranes. Fraser Port The Fraser River Port Authority has jurisdiction within its defined harbour limits, which extend from the mouth of the South Arm of the Fraser River, near Sand Heads to Kanaka Creek in Maple Ridge, but excludes the North and Middle Arms. The deep-sea berths on the river are mainly used for forest products, general cargo, automobiles and bulk shipments; depths alongside range from 4.6to 11.6m. History of the Voyage At 06183 on 08 November 2003, the CielodelCanada departed Fraser Surrey Docks, outbound for Oakland, California, U.S.A. There was both a Fraser river pilot and a British Columbia coast pilot on board. Weather conditions were fine and clear with rippled waters. The passage to the entrance to the Fraser River where the pilot exchange is carried out is approximately 20nautical miles and takes about 2hours. Prior to departure, the master and the river pilot discussed the vessel's undocking procedure. The coast pilot entered the wheelhouse at buoyS6, to familiarize himself with the position of the vessel, its navigational equipment, and the traffic within the immediate area and at the approaches to the river. The river pilot was keeping the vessel in the middle of the buoyed channel using the range lights. The handover took place within the designated compulsory pilotage area for the river pilot. Immediately after the hand over, the river pilot left the wheelhouse and, assisted by the officer of the watch, proceeded to the pilot ladder to disembark. The helmsman and the coast pilot were in the wheelhouse, as the master supervised the disembarking of the river pilot from the starboard bridge wing. The speed was reduced to dead slow ahead to facilitate the transfer of the river pilot to the pilot boat. While the master and officer of the watch were so engaged, and while proceeding at a reduced speed, the vessel began sheering to port. The pilot requested starboard helm and slow ahead on the engines to counteract the swing. However, at 0828 the vessel ran aground on a soft ledge while still within the buoyed channel, between buoys S2and S0, in position 4905'55"north, 12318'39"west. At the request of the coast pilot, the river pilot returned to the vessel and assisted with the refloating. The CielodelCanada was deballasted and with the assistance of tugs was refloated at 1254, approximately 4hours later, on the rising tide. The vessel proceeded out of the river, where at 1342 the coast pilot disembarked. There was an exchange of river pilots before returning to the Fraser Surrey Docks at 1640, for an underwater survey and to load more containers. The underwater survey carried out while the vessel was alongside revealed no apparent damage to the vessel's bottom, and a Transport Canada inspector gave the vessel clearance to continue on its voyage. Certification Vessel The CielodelCanada was certified in accordance with existing regulations. The vessel held a valid Safety Management System certificate in accordance with the International Management Code for the Safe Operation of Ships and for Pollution Prevention. Personnel The master, officers and crew of the vessel held certification appropriate for the class of vessel on which they were serving and for the intended voyage. The master had 25years of command experience on deep-sea vessels and this was his fourth consecutive trip into the Fraser River, during his current contract on this vessel. The helmsman, at the time of the occurrence, was an apprentice who was 2years into his three-year apprenticeship tenure. Pilots The Fraser River pilot held a Master Home Trade under 350tons certificate of competency and a valid Pilot's licence for the area in question (Pacific Pilotage District, Compulsory Pilotage Area1). He has been a pilot on the Fraser River since1980. The British Columbia coast pilot held a Master Home Trade under 350tons certificate of competency and a valid pilot's licence for the British Columbia coast (Pacific Pilotage District, Compulsory Pilotage Area2 through5). The areas for which he was licensed, however, did not include the occurrence location. At the time of the occurrence, he had been a British Columbia coast pilot for 5years. Weather and Current Information The weather was clear, with light northerly winds at 8knots and good visibility. The Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS) Tide and Current Tables, Volume5, predicted the time of high water at Point Atkinson (the closest reference port) to be at 0545, with a height of 4.3m above chart datum, and the next low water to be at 1105 with a height of 3.0m. At the time of the grounding, the tide was ebbing. The height of tide was approximately 3.66m above chart datum and falling. The CHS also predicted the surface current to be setting in a southerly direction at rates varying between 1.5 knots at buoy S4 and 0.4 knots at the grounding position. CHS Chart No. 3490 indicates the depth in the vicinity of the grounding as being 6.7m at chart datum. Speeds and Grounding Sequence The vessel was proceeding at an estimated speed of 10 knots with the engine on slow ahead until immediately before the river pilot disembarked, at which time dead slow ahead was selected. Dead slow ahead is considered the optimal speed required by the pilot boat for pilot disembarkation. It was estimated that the vessel was doing a speed of 4.6knots at the time of grounding. The coast pilot was aware that there was a southerly set in the area and he anticipated that the helmsman would apply a sufficient helm to counteract any swing. The pilot eventually ordered 20starboard helm followed by slow ahead, however, it was too late to counteract the swing. As the master came in from the bridge wing, the bow of the vessel rose slightly as it touched a soft ledge. Half ahead was selected, followed by full ahead, to slide the vessel over the ledge, but the vessel did not move and came to rest, aground on a heading of 237True. This was followed by various engine and helm manoeuvres in an attempt to free the vessel. Bridge Resource Management Prior to departure, under the Bridge Resource Management procedures, the exchange of information between the river pilot and the master were limited to undocking procedures. No passage plan was discussed, neither was the coast pilot involved in passage planning. During the river passage the master relied solely on the expertise of the river pilot and there was very little interaction between the vessel's bridge team and theRP. Although the vessel's position was being monitored by the officer of the watch, positions were not being plotted on the chart. The handover briefing between the river pilot and the coast pilot was minimal, and salient information on current, channel width and depths was not exchanged. Pilot Handover Location The official charted handover position for the exchange of pilots is approximately 1.8miles southwest of Sand Heads lighthouse. There is conflicting information as to the exact location where the handover took place. According to one source, the handover took place between buoys S2and S4,whereas according to another source the handover took place while the vessel was abeam of Sand Heads lighthouse. In any event, the handover of the vessel took place within the designated compulsory pilotage area for the river pilot while the vessel was still within the buoyed channel. The river pilot is licensed to pilot vessels on area1, which includes the Fraser River and an area that extends beyond river-entrance buoys S0and S1,into the Straits of Georgia, and overlaps with Area2. The coast pilot, on the other hand, is licensed in Area2 but, explicitly, not east of a line roughly following a north/south axis that almost intersects the entrance buoys S0andS1. Silting/Scouring within the River The Fraser River is at its lowest levels during January, February and March. As snow begins to melt inland in April, the river rises, reaching its peak in June, and fluctuates within the higher levels until mid-August. The water brings with it approximately 32million cubic metres of sediment each year, of which approximately 2million cubic metres is deposited within the shipping channels of the Fraser River. Depths are continually changing with some geographical locations experiencing more heavy silting than others. The clearing action of the swift current in the river also causes scouring, whereby, during peak run-offs, there is significant infill in the channel. Deep-water channels are created closer to the bank, outside of the main dredged shipping channel, and, on occasion, the pilots use these newly formed deep-water channels. The critical points that silt along the river between km0 (the mouth of the Fraser River) and km35 (Fraser Surrey Docks) are Sand Heads Reach (between buoys S8andS0), Steveston Bend, Steveston Cut, S23buoy, Tilbury Bend S28,S32buoy, Alex Fraser Bridge and Fraser Surrey Docks. A bar, south of the main dredged channel between buoysS2 andS0, had been steadily building up over the three years prior to the occurrence and had been gradually extending out to the main navigable dredged channel. Channel Design The channel is dredged and maintained in accordance with the Guidelines for the Safe Design of Commercial Shipping Channels and Canadian Waterways National Manoeuvring Guidelines: Channel Design Parameters. These conform to the PIANC4 standards, which allow for a reduction of 20percent in the manoeuvring lane width, provided that "the navigation aids are good or... a pilot is available." The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) establishes minimum standard guidelines for the design parameters and boundaries of the main navigation channels on the Fraser River. The design is based on the needs of the river users, and the location and type of shipping and port activities on the river. To this end, the CCGhas designed a two-way navigable channel with a width varying from 200m to 300m and a maintained channel depth of 10.7m, using tidal assist5 from Sand Heads (km0) to Port Mann Bridge (km42 ). The parameters are based on a transit of a "design vessel," having the characteristics of an ocean-going cargo ship of Panamax6 class, of length 228.6m, 32.3m beam, 10.67m draft. The channel depth is intended to provide the designed vessel with a 2hour transit opportunity (with tidal assist ) 95percent of the days in any year. Main Shipping Channel and Dredged Widths The width of the buoyed channel in the South Arm of the Fraser River varies between approximately 250m and 310m. The last stretch of the river while outbound, between buoys S8and S2,is approximately 310mwide. Following along the minimum standard guidelines established by the CCG, the Fraser River Port Authority maintains a dredged channel for deep-sea shipping as follows: an outer channel for vessels with a maximum draught of 10.7m, which is maintained to a width of 200m to 250m; and an inner channel for deeper draught vessels up to 11.5m draught, which is maintained to a width of 130m to 170m. Sounding Surveys/Field Charts and DredgingOperations A sounding and dredge plan is made for the year, and critical areas prone to frequent silting are dredged more often. Dredging is, however, severely restricted from March01 until mid-June to protect/conserve fish habitats within the river and to avoid damage to the dredging equipment during peak run-offs, due to the rapid rate of the water flow. As the river slows down after the peak run-off, it is difficult to keep up with the sediment that is deposited within the various sections of the river. The river bed changes constantly and rapidly, with critical sections of the navigable channel silting within 48hours. Surveys are conducted by Public Works and Government Services Canada, and the Fraser River Port Authority maintains the dredged channel. The frequency of these surveys is dependant on the rate/stage of the river flow, and this is assessed by the discharge rate at Hope. Field Charts for the use of the river pilots are usually produced and dispatched to them within 36hours of the surveys. The data sheet showing the river depths at the site of the grounding of the CielodelCanada, used by the river pilot on 08November2003, was based on a survey conducted on 17September2003. The depths shown around the grounding site are between 6.2to 6.3m above chart datum. Information in the Sailing Directions and CHS Chart No.3490 The Sailing Directions -British Columbia Coast (South Portion),7 state: CHS chart 3490, Fraser River, has the following cautionary note : Scheduling of Arrivals/Departures for Deep-Sea Vessels The daily arrival and departure parameters for every deep-sea vessel entering/departing the Fraser Port is calculated in advance by a committee of pilots from the Pacific Pilotage Authority. The committee's calculation is based on a Schematization of the Fraser River Model, a booklet that is put out each year byCHS. A time window is calculated within which a vessel, with a predetermined draught, is able to transit both inbound and outbound. A clearance of 1.4m under the keel is allowed for in the calculations.